Possible Emergency?

[BCT182]

I just picked up a piece of LR and got about 150 little sharp glass like looking slivers in my finger tip. Is this anything I should be worried about??? some are too short to pull out with a tweezer.

 

[matts125]

I just picked up a piece of LR and got about 150 little sharp glass like looking slivers in my finger tip. Is this anything I should be worried about??? some are too short to pull out with a tweezer.

You grabbed a bristle worm, that happend to me too, you will be fine....
They release their bristles when touched as an irritant (keeps them from getting eatin)

Matt

 

[BCT182]

thanks dude, whoa. so how about do i get them out?

 

[matts125]

I didnt, they just over time just kinda dissapeared...

Matt

 

[matts125]

I am sure we are not the only ones that have had this happen...
I saw the actual worm when it happend to me...


Matt

 

[big t]

try gently brushing them off with duct tape.

 

[lavenderfish]

If you have swelling, itching and burning an antihistamine might help control it while you seek professional medical attention. My frogspawn and I don't get along and benedryl is now a mandatory part of my reefing kit. The economy size generic at Costco is less than $5.00

 

[returnofsid]

I would suggest duct tape as well. Watch the area for infection. Though not common, it can happen.

 

[burning2nd]

is it anything like geting figer glass fibers stuck in your finger?

 

[shallowreef]

Can't you set up traps for bristle worms?

 

[NaH2O]

You can shallowreef, but for alot of folks it isn't necessary, unless the population is crazy or you have one that is huge.

After handling live rock, I've had the tiny bristle fibers in my fingers before, and they just disappeared. I did get the ones I could see with duct tape. Now, I always handle live rock with gloves on, as it just isn't worth it to me to have that feeling in my fingers.

Shanon - you really should wear gloves. You might think about getting veterinary sleeves that cover your skin up to your shoulder. Each time you touch your LPS, your allergic reaction will increase. Similar to when people get stung by a bee...with each successive sting, the reaction increases. Benadryl may work now, but I would be worried about future interactions. I am sensitive to anemones, and will don gloves whenever in the tank, just to prevent any issues. Let's Talk About ~Reefkeeping Dangers~

 

[kevinpo]

Did it look like this?

If so you can use tweezers or tape. Soaking in vineger will also help. Non powder latex or nitrile gloves will also work on all except the largest worms.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[returnofsid]

LOL Kevin, I bet that's your finger. OUCH!!

 

[steven11]

Your killin me Brett! Everything bad that can happen in this hobby happens to you. I think the only run in that hasnt happened to you is a mantis shrimp! I hope your not planning on buying any live rock soon or else nock on wood. Are you going to make it over on Sat?

 

[BCT182]

Thanks everyone. Yep I went back to the rock and looked. it was a huge worm. It actually stung pretty bad where it got me and freaked me out. Thanks for the support. I'll wear gloves from here on out.

 

[lavenderfish]

Shanon - you really should wear gloves. You might think about getting veterinary sleeves that cover your skin up to your shoulder.

I got my vetsleeves from The Filter Guys a couple of weeks back but they do occasionally leak. I used to have Coralife gloves (red/purple) for diving into our brackish puffer tank but they were ungodly hot to use for more than a few minutes.

 

[Jan]

Shanon - you really should wear gloves. You might think about getting veterinary sleeves that cover your skin up to your shoulder. Each time you touch your LPS, your allergic reaction will increase. Similar to when people get stung by a bee...with each successive sting, the reaction increases. Benadryl may work now, but I would be worried about future interactions. I am sensitive to anemones, and will don gloves whenever in the tank, just to prevent any issues

I think I am sensitive to my anemone too (or possibly my frogspawn). I got a hives-like reaction on my legs and burning, itchy palms and ears. Quite freaky. I've got the gloves that reach to the shoulder but every time I wear them they leak. Rubber bands around regular rubber gloves leak also. I need a better answer.

 

[lavenderfish]

I wish I had a better answer for you. My point in bringing up the benedryl was to point out that it is a very cheap precaution to have on hand. It can buy you time to reach an emergency room if something serious is going on. The itchy palms ears and hives on leg definately sound like an allergic reaction.

Do skimming and carbon do much to remove coral/anemone mucus from the water?

 

[Jan]

Do skimming and carbon do much to remove coral/anemone mucus from the water?

I think that they do but it would be better to have an expert chime in on this.

 

[NaH2O]

It is more related to contact with nematocysts, which gloves will prevent against. The problem is, if you are already seeing a reaction, then with each successive sting, you have the chance to develop a more severe reaction. Anaphylactic shock is nothing to mess around with. If your reactions require Benadryl, then I would talk to your doctor about prescribing an Epi-Pen. You won't know when the reaction will become severe enough to require one, until it happens. I have my Epi-Pens....also if you have Epi-Pens, make sure to keep them current. An expired pen may not do the trick
Here's a quote: Things with Stings by Ron Shimek

The cnidarian nematocyst is a microscopic stinging apparatus that functions much like a small bomb, located in the tissue of the coral, jellyfish, or sea anemone. When each individual nematocyst is detonated on contact with the prey or some other organism, it sends a small amount of toxin into that animal. Generally, the discharge of a single nematocyst has very little effect; however, nematocysts don't exist singly. They are found in groups or bunches, and each may have several thousand nematocysts that all fire at once. The density of nematocysts at places in the epidermis of cnidarians may range upward to about 10,000 per mm (or about 6,000,000 per square inch).

Curtswearing has scars on his arms from LPS stings. It is nothing to play with.

In regards to leaking gloves, what I've done with my vet sleeves, is I wear two, then put a nitrile glove on my hand. It seems to do the trick against leakage.


Here is another quote from the above linked article:

•
First, if they are discharged into thickened epidermis, such as on the palms of the hands, the thread may be too short to penetrate the dead epidermal layers, and the nematocyst discharges do nothing. In these cases, the aquarist may be considered lucky.
•
Second, if they are discharged into areas where the skin is thin, for example the inside of the forearm, they may cause pain and tissue damage. As an example, one person I worked with had the tentacles of a large fish-eating anemone from the Pacific Northwest brush across the inside of her arms in a display aquarium she was maintaining. The nematocysts left a trail of red pustules that developed into open ulcerative lesions that took about 2 months to heal.
•
Third, in such cases where the discharged proteins make it into the blood stream, there is the possibility of an allergic reaction. The materials discharged are foreign proteins, and their presence in the body initiates an immune response. This can, in some cases, develop into allergy, and further put the person at risk to severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylactic shock, if they get subsequently stung again. About 20 years ago, after a few months of working with sea anemones, I developed an allergic reaction to sea anemone stings. Consequently, I have to be quite careful around the sea anemones in my tanks.